On Colonialism in Robinson Crusoe鲁滨逊漂流记论殖民主义.doc

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1、On Colonialism in Robinson CrusoeAbstract: Daniel Defoes Robinson Crusoe tells us a story of an Englishman who is shipwrecked on a deserted tropical island, restless with loneliness and despair. When he strives for a better survival environment, and finally manages to come back to England. The narra

2、ting of this novel has the direct relation with the Englands invasion and colony. “Adventure” became the main clue in many fictions at that time. The narrator Crusoes process on the bald island showed the construction of the Empires colony. So Robinson Crusoe became the most typical colonialism narr

3、ative text in 18 century. Robinson Crusoe glorifies the individual experience of ordinary people in plain and simple language, and also as a positive portray of the English bourgeoisie. But this kind of portray beautifies colonialism and slavery root in it. This thesis sets on the history of 18 cent

4、ury. And it is a typical study of how the colonists exert the cultural rule on the people in the colonies.Key words: colonialism, English bourgeoisie, 18 century.1 Introduction: Definition of colonialism and colonialism analysisColonialism has different definitions. The American Heritage Dictionary

5、says colonialism is a policy by which a nation maintains or extends its control over foreign dependence. While Oxford Dictionary Online gives us his understand of colonialism is that the policy or practice of acquiring full of partial political control over another country, occupying it with settler

6、s and exploiting it economically. In a word, colonialism is a saying of powerful country plundering weak nation. Colonialism is the is the consequence of western capital accumulation. It originates from the periods of Discovery and Exploration since 15th century. Some critics think that it breaks th

7、e separation of the Old World and the New world and also encourages the exchange of both cultures. In Robinson Crusoe, colonialism exists tills the beginning to the end. Robinson was alone on the island, but he needed more like a servant than a companion. We can see that from the part he taught Frid

8、ay to speak English about “Yes, No, Master”.2 Related information about this novel and its author Daniel DefoeThe full name of this novel is The Life and Strange Surprising Adventures of Robinson Crusoe. The story itself is real enough to have come from a sailors logbook. Robinson is a young man fro

9、m a rich family. His father wants him to be a lawyer while his dream is to be a sailor. On his nineteen years old, he disregards his parents advice and sets out to sea. While his sailing is not that smooth which he has imagined. Finally, he is dashed to an islet by the waves. He has spent 28 years o

10、n it, learning growing food and keeping fowls. He comes back to the civilized world again at last.Daniel Defoe born Daniel Foe, was an English trader, writer, journalist and pamphleteer, who gained fame for his novel Robinson Crusoe Daniel Foe(his original name) was born in London, Defoe latter adde

11、d the aristocratic-sounding “De” to his name and on occasion claimed descent from the family of De Beau Faux. In his whole life, he takes many professions. Daniel Defoe, was originally a merchant who was concerned more about his own interests. He once said:Trade is the wealth of the world. Trade mak

12、es the difference between rich and poor, between one nation to another.(Jackson,82) And at the age of sixty, he turned to fiction writing. His great work Robinson Crusoe was written at that time, till that the author became famous all over Europe3 The settings of this novel The people of Defoes time

13、, or precisely speaking, the rising English bourgeois class, had limitless faith in mans ability to carve a life for themselves out of the wilderness. They were always with a restless curiosity to know more about outside world, and with a desire to prove the individual power in the face of social an

14、d natural challenge. They eagerly pursued their golden dream and disseminated their religious spirit by setting up colonies overseas. In Robinson Crusoe, the protagonist Crusoe succeeds in mastering his situation, overcoming the obstacles and controlling the despairing environment he faces with. He

15、meets many unimaginable difficulties. In that despairing situation, separated from the civilized society, without enough implements to live a normal life and nobody else to tune to, Crusoe is once depressed. But he never gives up his wish. The protagonist is typical of the rising bourgeoisies who ea

16、ger to show their desire and capacity to set up colonies overseas for their own wealth and profits. At the same time, through relationships with Friday, Crusoe shows his mastery over the developed people, which hints slavery root in colonialism. It has reason for him to do so. At that time, British

17、people were confident in their race and culture.( Clemen,2003) They believed that they were superior to “ the other”. They held the faith that God was on their said and called them to deliver savages and civilize them.4 The colonialism embodied on Friday in this novelThe former part of the novel pro

18、ved that owning a slave was reasonable. Friday lived in a primitive tribe with the nature of man-eating and also a victim of the bloody custom. Robinson represented the” Civilized Western Man” who drove away the Indians with advanced arms-gun and power, and then he was just to deliver Friday from th

19、e cannibals. When he met Friday, he said Friday was meant to be his servant. He claimed that he would lead Friday to a “ happy” life. In order to thank for his saving, Friday was willing to be his servant. But form that moment, the liberty was deprived. Friday had left his hometown and his relatives

20、 forever. He was forced to suffer the homesick and missing relatives. As we all know, Friday loved relatives very much. In this novel, when he met his father, the affection he treated his father even touched Robinson. It depicted that:”but when Friday came to hear him speak, and look in his face, it

21、 would have moved anyone to tears, to have seen how Friday kissed him, embraced him, hugged him, cried, laughed, hallowed, jumped about , danced, sung , and then cries again, wrung his hands, beat his own face and head, and then sung and jumped about again, like a distracted creature.( Defoe 191-192

22、) In every sight, Friday was a perfect person. As a servant, he showed his loyalty to Robinson, and he truly did it. At last he gave his life to his so called master. The novel also mentioned that Friday was a handsome man, at the same time, he was an important figure in his tribe. We can see that f

23、rom the part that he invited Robinson to his place. But his destiny was in controlled in his hands. He was only a slave in his masters eyes. Robinson had had planed to knee down to unlock Fridays manacle, but he immediately realized that it wasnt suit for his position. Friday was just one sacrifice

24、in the policy of colonialism.4 Conclusion In a “praiseworthy” way, Defoe successfully depicts a good example of an ordinary people who proves individual power in face of social and natural difficulties, a hero representing the rising English bourgeoisie who successfully set up his colonial island. T

25、his certainly encourages a great many bourgeois of Defoes time to pursue their colonial dream, which brings great disasters to the colonies. As modern novelist Jane Joyce puts that true symbols of the British conquest is Robinson Crusoe in these word:” He is on the true behalf of the British colonis

26、tThe whole Anglo-Saxon spirit is in Crusoe: the independence, the unconscious, and persistence and so on”. Actually, I admire Robinson about his ability to survival in wild. I cant imagine that if I were in that situation, what would I do. 【1】Clemen, GDB 昔日的英国王室 M 上海：华东师范大学出版社【2】Daniel Defoe, Robins

27、on Crusoe. 上海：上海世界图书出版社，2003【3】Jackson, ed. Robinson Crusoe. By Daniel Defoe. 上海：华东师范大学出版社【4】吴伟仁，英国文学史及选读，北京：外语教学与研究出版社【5】刘意青，英国18世纪文学史【M】. 北京：外语教学与研究出版社生命列车The Train Of Life1. 不久以前，我读了一本书。书中把人生比作一次旅行。2. 人生一世，就好比是一次搭车旅行，要经历无数次上车、下车; 时常有事故发生; 有时是意外惊喜，有时却是刻骨铭心的悲伤 3. 降生人世，我们就坐上了生命列车。我们以为我们最先见到的那两个人-我们的

28、父母，会在人生旅途中一直陪伴着我们。 4. 很遗憾，事实并非如此。他们会在某个车站下车，留下我们，孤独无助。他们的爱、他们的情、他们不可替代的陪伴，再也无从寻找。 5. 尽管如此，还会有其他人上车。他们当中的一些人将对我们有着特殊的意义。 6. 他们之中有我们的兄弟姐妹, 有我们的亲朋好友。我们还将会体验千古不朽的爱情故事。7. 坐同一班车的人当中，有的轻松旅行。8. 有的却带着深深的悲哀 还有的,在列车上四处奔忙，随时准备帮助有需要的人 9. 很多人下车后，其他旅客对他们的回忆历久弥新 但是，也有一些人，当他们离开座位时，却没有人察觉。10. 有时候，对你来说情深义重的旅伴却坐到了另一节车厢

29、。你只得远离他，继续你的旅程。11. 当然，在旅途中，你也可以摇摇晃晃地穿过自己的车厢，去别的车厢找他 12. 可惜，你再也无法坐在他身旁，因为这个位置已经让别人给占了 .13. 没关系。旅途充满挑战、梦想、希望、离别 就是不能回头。因此，尽量使旅途愉快吧！14. 善待旅途上遇见的所有旅客，找出人们身上的闪光点。15. 永远记住，在某一段旅程中，有人会犹豫彷徨，因为我们自己也会犹豫彷徨。16. 我们要理解他人，因为我们需要他人的理解。17. 生命之谜就是：我们在什么地方下车？坐在身旁的伴侣在什么地方下车？我们的朋友在什么地方下车？我们无从知晓 18. 我时常这样想：到我该下车的时候，我会留恋吗

30、？我想我还是会的。和我的朋友分离，我会痛苦。让我的孩子孤独地前行，我会悲伤。 我执著地希望在我们大家都要到达的那个终点站，我们还会相聚 19. 我的孩子们上车时没有什么行李，如果我能在他们的行囊中留下美好的回忆，我会感到幸福。20. 我下车后，和我同行的旅客都还能记得我，想念我，我将感到快慰。21. 献给你, 我生命列车上的同行者, 祝您旅途愉快!1. Not long ago, I read a book, in which a mans life was compared to a journey.2. The life of a man is just like a hitchhikin

31、g，during which many times we go up and down. Now and then things will happen accidently, some of which are to be unexpected excitement，while some heart-breaking sorrows. 3. When first embraced the world，we are already on the train of life. We take it for granted that the first two persons, our paren

32、ts, whom we are encountered with, will accompany us all the way.4. Sadly，things do not go on as we thought.Our parents will get off the train at a certain station，leaving us, bereft and helpless.Their love and emotion to us and their irreplaceable company can be found in nowhere.5. However，there wil

33、l be somebody else who will get on the train. Some of them will have special meaning to us.6. Some of them may be our siblings , relatives and friends, and we will also expereince the imperishable love.7. Some of our travelling companions are quite light-hearted on the way.8. While some may bear imm

34、ense sorrow.Still some ,back and forth, are ready to hold out their hands for others who need help.9. Some people alight off the train, yet they are still kept in the mind of the other passengers for long;some, to the opposite, leave their seats without being noticed.10. Sometimes, the one,who is de

35、ar to your heart, has huddled into another carriage. Nothing but one you can do is just to keep on going, far away from him.11. Of course, during the journey, you may stagger to another carriage to look for him.12. Its a pity that you will never seat yourself beside him because the seat has been eng

36、aged by others. 13. Never mind. The journey is full of challenges,dreams, hopes and departures- but only one thing is that you cant turn back. So, have a good journey with heart and soul.14. Show your good-will to all the passengers you are encountered with, and find the merits of theirs.15. Remeber

37、 that someone may oscillate just as we do in the journey.16. We should understand others just as we need others understanding.17. The enigma of life is：Where shall we get off the train of life?And how about the companions beside us?And our friends?We dont know.18. Sometimes I think：When my time come

38、s to get off the train，shall I miss it？I think I will.It is a suffering when I part with my friends.I will be sorry for leaving my kids going alone.I firmly hold that when we get to the terminal，we will have another reunion.19. When my kids get on the train of life, they have only little luggage in their travelling bags. However,if I can leave the beautiful memory in them,I will be happy. 20. After getting off the train of life, I will be content if my fellow passengers will remember me and miss me.21. To you , the companions on my train of life.May you have a good journey!